Enviro News Asia, Jakarta – As part of its ongoing commitment to preventing forest and land fires (karhutla), Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Group, through its subsidiary PT Wirakarya Sakti (WKS), has partnered with the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) to implement a Weather Modification Operation (OMC) in the provinces of Jambi and South Sumatra. The cooperation agreement was officially signed today at BMKG Building A in Jakarta and was attended by senior officials from both parties.
This collaboration will support a 10-day cloud seeding operation prior to the 2025 dry season, serving as a proactive measure against potential fire risks. PT WKS is fully contributing to this operation as part of the private sector’s active role in fire prevention efforts.
“We appreciate the trust given to us to participate in the effort to prevent land and forest fires in Jambi and South Sumatra. Weather modification is a concrete initiative that we strongly support, as it helps increase water reserves and maintain soil moisture before the dry season begins. This reflects real collaboration between government and private sector in preserving the environment,” said President Director of PT WKS, Didi Harsa, after the signing.
The operation will utilize hygroscopic (salt-based) cloud seeding technology, dispersed using specialized aircraft with navigational support from the Indonesian Air Force. Daily monitoring of rainfall and soil moisture will be conducted by BMKG to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, with transparent reporting delivered to funding stakeholders.
“We highly appreciate the commitment of PT Wirakarya Sakti as a strategic partner in executing the weather modification operation. This year is particularly special because, for the first time, we are implementing a formal contract scheme based on the new Public Service Agency (PNBP) tariff set by the Ministry of Finance. It is an important milestone in achieving more accountable and sustainable service governance. We hope the implementation will be timely and aligned with field weather dynamics,” stated BMKG Director of Weather Modification Operations, Budi Harsoyo.
In his remarks, BMKG Director of Weather Modification Governance, Edison Kurniawan, emphasized that the signing of the cooperation agreement is a strategic step in the efforts to prevent forest and land fires, especially in Jambi and South Sumatra. “We foresee a high risk of forest fires in the coming months, thus requiring robust and collaborative efforts. This partnership with PT Wirakarya Sakti exemplifies the synergy between government and private sector that must be continuously strengthened,” Edison stated.
Since 2021, APP Group has consistently adopted weather modification technology as part of its Integrated Fire Management (IFM) approach, which includes prevention, preparedness, early detection, and rapid response to fire threats. Support for OMC in Jambi and South Sumatra is one of APP Group’s tangible commitments to ecosystem protection and its goal of achieving zero fires in its operational areas. (*)
